Non-refillable bottle.



H. G. DBGNER.

NON-RBFILLABLB BOTTLE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.1, 1910.

1.110,115. Patented Sept. 8, 1914,

THE NORRIS PETERS (20., PHOTO-LITHOH WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

HERMAN C. DEGNEB, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

NON-REFILLABLE BGTTLE.

Application filed December 1, 1910.

To all whom it may macern Be it known that I, HERMAN C. DEGNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of LosA-ngeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Non-Refillable Bottle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to closures for hottles for preventing unauthorized refilling thereof, and the main object of the invention is to provide means for this purpose which will be simple in construction and efiicient and reliable in operation.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, and referring thereto: Figure 1 1s a vertical section of the bottle, with the invention applied thereto, showing the normal position of the bottle. Fig. 2 is a section of the neck end of the bottle, showing the position of the parts in pouring. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the position the parts assume when the bottle is tipped from the pouring position, with the closure means moved to position to close the opening of the bottle. Fig. 4 is a section on line m 02 in Fig. 1. Fig.5 is a perspective of a spider diaphragm forming a part of the closure.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the valve member,

Fig. 7 is a vertical section showing a modified form of the valve member. Fig. 8 is a vertical section showing anothermodification of the valve member. Fig. 9 is an inverted plan of a modified form of the valve casing for the closure member. Fig. 9 is a partial section of the form shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the containing cylinder for the closure.

The bottle indicated at 1, is provided with the usual neck 2, and the closure member for preventing refilling of the bottle is adapted for insertion and retention in said neck, and comprises a sleeve or cylinder 3 fastened into said neck, for example, by ementing thereinto, and valve means within said sleeve or cylinder, controlling the flow of liquid therethrough. Said cylinder is adapted to receive the usual cork 4 which is withdrawn when it is desired to pour the contents of the bottle. The sleeve or cylinder 3 is provided with openings or ports 5 at or near the lower end thereof, said ports 5 being, for example, formed in the side wall. of said sleeve and communicating with a space within the bottle, the cylinder 3 projecting into said space Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914. Serial No. 595,155.

valve member by arms '11 permitting of the flow of fluidthrough said valve.

The ports 5 are near the closed inner end of the cylinder 3, but sufiiciently separated therefrom to leave a small portionof the wall of the cylinder between said ports and the closed ends, so that the cylindrical valve 9 may slide past the said ports 5 and seat against the closed inner end of the cylinder 3, giving an efi'ectual cut-ofi, by reason of the seating of the valve against the wall of the cylinder and against the inner end of the cylinder. 7

A ball 13 normally rests in said cup 10 and depresses the valve member to position to close the ports 5, the said valve member being arrested in this position by engagement of its lower end with the bottom 7 of the cylinder 3. A stop member 14 extends across the cylinder 3 above the ball 13 to limit the longitudinal movement of said ball within the sleeve 3 and serves as anabutment for the operation of said ball as hereinafter set forth. Said stop member 14'is formed as an open spider to permit the passage of the fluid, and in order to guard against the penetration of a tube or other tampering means, the said member 14 is preferably formed with two series of arms 16 secured to the cylinder in any manner, as by pinning or soldering them thereto. The inner arms 17 of the stop member 14 extend obliquely toward the inner end of the neck,

and the arms 11 of the valve extend obliquely toward the outer end of the neck, so that the ball engages between the arms'on the stop member and the arms on the valve when the bottle is. tipped as hereinafter set forth, these arms forming conical portionsadapted to be engaged by the ball to cause longitudinal movement of the valve member in lateral movement of the ball.

The centra'l portion of the valve member is concavely curved on its outer face to form a seat conforn'iing substantially to the shape of the weight or ball 13, and the arms 11 of said valve member are convexly curved on their outer faces so that as the ball rolls from the central position toward one side, it will first tend to produce rapid longitudinal movemei'it of the valve member, and when it reaches the limit of its movement it will be in engagement with parts of relatively less inclination, namely, the convexly curved arms 11, thereby providing for extended movement of the valve and at the same time providing for maximum longitudinal pressure by the ball or weight when at the limit of its movement.

In the form shown in Figs. 9 and 9', wherein the ports are in the bottom of the cylinder 3, the valve member, indicated at 9, is provided with an inwardly extending flange 19 to close the ports.

The operation is as follows: Normally, with the bottle standing in vertical position, the valve member 9 is held in position against the bottom plate 7 of the cylinder 3 by the weight of the ball 13 resting thereon. When the liquid is to be poured, the stopper 4- is removed, and the bottle is tipped to inverted position as shown in Fig. 2, causing the ball 13 to drop onto the stop member 14%. and allowing the valve member 9 to descend under its own weight and the weight of the fluid, so that the fluid may pass out through the ports 5 and through the openings formed between the arms of the valve member, and the arms of the member 1 as indicated by arrows in Fig. 2. On then tipping the bottle back toward horizontal position, the ball rolls down on the inclined inner arms 17 of the member 1a and engages with the inclined arms 11 of the valve so that the weight of the ball tends to raise the valve or push the valve inwardly by the wedging action on said inclined arms, and the valve thereby moved to position to close the ports 5 even before the bottle has assumed a horizontal position. It is therefore not possible to refill the bottle by holding it in the liquid to be inserted in a nearly horizontal position, for the valve at that time will be held closed, nor is it possible to re fill the bottle by tipping the bottle up to more. nearly vertical position, as the valve will then be held closed by the direct application of the weight of the ball 13. ()n the other hand, if the bottle be tipped down, when empty, to position such as shown in Fig. 2, so as to bring the Weight of the ball on the fixed partition 14, the air will be trapped in the bottle so that little no fluid can enter, and it is not possible to draw off the air by means of a tube, as the alternately disposed arms 16 and 17 of the partition 1 1 out off all penetration by any solid object.

If desired, the valve member may be made of cork, as indicated at 22 in Fig. '2', so as to further safeguard against the refilling by inversion of the bottle, the valve then rising by reason of its specific gravity being less than that of water. The same effect may be obtained by forming a valve with an air chamber as indicated at 23 in the valve 2% in Fig. 8.

An important advantage of the construction. of the valve as shown in Fig. 1 with the lateral ports in the cylindrical neck member, that the prcssmfe of the fluid in the bottle has no tendency to open the valve, so that if it be attempted to refill a partially emptied bottle by bringing it to the inclined position shown in Fig. 3, the pressure of the weight or ball 13 will be capable of holding the valve closed against the pressure of the liquid already in the bottle.

An important. feature of the present invention is that the discharge from the cylinder within the neck of the bottle is in a single central opening in the neck, the sepa- "ate side openings being at the inner end of the cylinder, so that the fluid flows at the side of the cylinder into the inner end and flows out of the outer end of the cylinder in the same manner as it wouldfrom the neck of the bottle if the device were not present, except for such slight retardation as may result from the presence of the valve device. The openings 5 controlled by the cylindrical portion 9 of the valve being in the side of the cylinder 8, suction at the neck of the bottle will have no effect in opening the valve, this being an important feature, as one of the requirements for a device of this kind is the valve shall not be subject to being opened by suction at the neck.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a bottle provided with a cylindrical neck member having ports adjacent its inner end communicating with the interior of the bottle, a valve member formed with a cylindrical wall. sliding in said cylindrical neck member and provided with means to close and open said ports, said valve member being provided with a central concave portion and with. arms connecting said concave portion with said cylindrical wall, forming passages through the i alve member between said arms, said arms extending obliquely from the cylindrical wall of the valve member toward the inner end thereof, a stop member extending across the neck and having passages, and a weight within the cylindrical neck member between the said stop member and said valve member.

2. A. bottle provided with a cylindrical neck member projecting inwardly into the interior of the bottle and closed at its inner end, said cylindrical neck member. having ports in its side Wall adjacent to its inner end, a valve member formed with a cylindrical wall sliding within the cylindrical wall of said neck member and operating to close or open said ports, said valve member having a central portion formed with a concave seat on its outer face, and having arms connecting said central portion with the cylindrical wall of the valve member, forming passages through the valve member between said arms, a stop member extending across the cylindrical neck member and having passages, and a weight within the cylindrical member between said stop member and said valve member.

A bottle provided with a cylindrical neck member projecting inwardly into the interior of the bottle and closed at its inner end, said cylindrical neck member having ports in its side wall adjacent to its inner end, a valve member formed with a cylindrical wall sliding within the cylindrical wall of said neck member and operating to close or open said ports, said valve member having a central portion formed with a concave seat on its outer face, and having arms connecting said central portion with the cylindrical wall of the valve member, forming passages through the valve member between said arms, a stop member extending across the cylindrical neck member and having passages, and a weight within the cylindrical member between said stop member and said valve member, said arms of the valve member being conveXly curved on their outer faces.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California this 23rd day of November, 1910.

HERMAN C. DEGNER.

In presence of ARTHUR P. KNIGHT, FRANK L. A. GRAHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five 'cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

